1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conveyance apparatus using movable bodies, which is used to move a movable body for conveying items on a fixed path located on a floor or on a ceiling, for example.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, a conveyance apparatus using movable bodies disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-114094, for example, has been used as this kind of apparatus. More specifically, the main body of a movable body which is able to move along a fixed path by being supported and guided on rails by means of a plurality of guided devices, is formed by three frame members which are connected, by means of a connecting device, in a relatively rotatable fashion in lateral directions traversing the longitudinal travelling direction of the movable body. A supporting section for items to be conveyed is provided on the middle frame, and a group of guided devices are connected, by means of a vertical axle, to the movable body in a relatively rotatable fashion. A plurality of divided rail members capable of supporting the group of guided devices are provided in a set path section within the fixed path, and furthermore, rotating means for causing these divided rail members to rotate about a vertical axis are also provided. Moreover, a group of lateral travel rail members capable of connecting to the divided rail members when the latter are rotated and separated from the rails, are provided to the lateral side of the set path section.
According to this conventional constitution, the respective guided devices of the movable body are supported on the divided rail members, and in this state, the group of divided rail members are connected to the lateral travel rail members by reverse rotation of rotating means. Thereby, the respective guided devices can assume a posture facing sideways in the lateral direction, whilst the main body of the movable body is aligned in a direction following the set path section. By moving the group of guided devices sideways in a lateral direction, the movable body can be moved laterally whilst the main body of the movable body remains in an attitude aligned with the set path section. Consequently, by forming a storage path from a lateral travel path section composed of a group of lateral travel rail members, it is possible to store the movable bodies in such a manner that the main bodies thereof are aligned laterally in parallel.
However, according to the prior art constitution described above, in the lateral travel path section, it is not readily possible to maintain a spacing between movable bodies in the lateral travel direction, and therefore, in order to convey the movable bodies laterally in such a manner that there is no mutual contact between the conveyed items, it has been necessary to separately install lateral conveyance devices, or the like, having a complicated structure.